Descendant of the Challenger
by p r o w l i n g w o l f
Summary: A mystery girl, Hermione with a resolve not to be taken advantage of, Ron with family problems, Harry...like always, mixed with dark events from the past, strange scenes in a mirror, a prophecy about a flower and death eater secrets - WIP
1. Aileen Maeve O'Connor

A/N: Alright... this is my first real fic (unless you count that one chapter of wolf's call... ) and I'm really putting in a lot of effort... I really welcome criticism, even harsh criticism - I want to know what I have to do in order to make people believe that this story is worth their time!!! As a note: The first few chapters focus entirely on my OC - Aileen. Please, PLEASE don't be discouraged by this, I will have chapters concentrating more on the canon characters later. Basically, while writing this story, I consider the first four Harry Potter books. I am NOT going by the events of OotP... it would mess up all of my ideas. The story starts at the end of Harry's fourth year, shortly before he and Cedric come face to face with Voldemort etc, etc. This means, that, in the beginning, if you want to have a clear view of what's hapening to the canon characters, you could re-read the last few chapters of GoF... that is why, initially, the canon characters don't appear. Another reason is that I'm trying to establish Aileen and give some background on her. Alright, now that is said... (I don't know how it ever got this long.... I'm just asking you to give my story a chance)... get r & r-ing!!! - WoLf - 

///Plays during Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts /// 

Slowly, she got out of bed, looking at her alarm clock. _Seven_ she groaned mentally. After dragging herself to the bathroom, she took a cold shower, which woke her up a little. She finished getting ready and checked her face in the mirror one last time, just to make sure that everything was as it should be. Large grey eyes looked back at her from a face framed by long, sleek, black hair. 

_Good Morning, Aileen Maeve O'Connor_ she thought to herself as she examined her face in the mirror. She stuck her tongue out at herself, no longer wanting to have to meet her own solemn stare. 

With a sigh, Aileen gathered up her school things and put them in her bag. Silently, she sneaked down the stairs; trying not to wake her grandmother. Once safely outside the house, she grabbed her bike and headed towards school. 

Though Aileen was smart and even enjoyed learning, she hated going to school. The thing that bothered her most were the other students. Most did not like school, and expressed that opinion openly. Yet she did not mind them as much as those who pretended to like school, getting on the good side of the teachers, while they really didn't care. 

Aileen herself was not well liked by the teachers. Though they knew she was smart, she was often rebellious and did not hesitate from speaking her mind. She did not have many friends - those who would have considered it soon left her alone after their attempts at friendship had been continuously rebuffed. Aileen did not think any of the other students worthy of her friendship. 

This was partly due to Aileen's secret lessons. Her grandmother, she knew, had been a powerful witch when she was younger. Aileen also knew she carried traces of that same power in her own blood. And it was not merely the power of her grandmother, but of generations before her. The O'Connor family prided themselves as being pure-blooded. Though Aileen's attitude towards wizards of muggle heritage was not as condescending as that of some other pure-bloods, she would not lower herself to the level of being friends with simple muggles who did not have a trace magic inside them. 

Longingly, Aileen thought of the upcoming summer holidays - only two weeks of school left! No more cumbersome hours to be spent studying at school among those pitiful muggles - that was definitely something to look forward to! And she would finally be able to devote more of her time to her grandmother's lessons. Aileen knew that her grandmother's vitality was fading. She did not have very long left to live. Though the thought saddened Aileen, the feeling of worry about what would happen to her after that was greater. She did not know of any living relatives or anyone else who would take her in. _I will not go to any filthy muggle orphanage!_ she resolved. 

Just then, Aileen was startled out of her thoughts by the sound of something hitting metal. _Oh no, here we go again_ . . . it was those stupid muggle boys waiting for the bus throwing rocks at her. _How childish to be doing something like this at their age. . . muggles really are pitiful. . ._ Aileen pedalled harder, trying to get away from the troublemakers. 

By the time she reached school, she was exhausted. _At least I'm not late for once_ she thought grimly to herself, not looking forward to her classes. She spent the last few minutes before the bell rang in the bathroom, staring at the mirror, concentrating on it with all her might. Slowly, ripples started spreading across the glass, as if the surface of something liquid had been disturbed. At that moment, the door opened, jerking Aileen from her trance. Angry, she swished around in order to face the intruder. 

"What are you doing here?!?" she snapped at the girl, who was at least 3 years younger than her. 

The girl gave a little cry of fright and ran away as she saw Aileen approaching. Aileen exited the bathroom after her taking long strides. _I have to find a less public spot. . . like at home._ she thought to herself. _But I already tried and it doesn't work there. Perhaps my mirror doesn't have enough emotions and drama locked up in it. The school mirror would be almost perfect for my use. I wonder how many of those pathetic little muggle girls went running in there, crying. . ._ Aileen smirked at the thought. She turned the corner, not watching where she was going and collided with someone. Thinking it was the girl who had returned, Aileen uttered some impolite curses. 

"What have we got here? A student wandering the hallway after the start of class. . .and using inappropriate language at that! O'Connor! In my office now!" 

Of all the people she could have run into. . . it just had to be the headmaster. Aileen groaned inwardly. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 


	2. Don't Mess with Me

Aileen sat in the principal's office, nervously clasping the edges of the chair. She wouldn't much mind being expelled. . .but she knew that it would disappoint her grandmother- and she did not want that, not after everything her grandmother had done for her. Apart from that, there WERE only two weeks of school left - those two short weeks didn't matter. . . much . . . 

Yet, considering the number of times she had sat in that office this year already. . .her hopes of being able to stay were not very high. 

The principal sat down at his desk, facing her. He was in his fifties, overweight, and was never seen without his thick, horn-rimmed glasses. He was rarely seen smiling, and when he did smile his eyes often remained untouched - blue, watery puddles of ice. 

After what seemed like hours to Aileen, he finally spoke. 

"Aileen O'Connor." he said it almost condescendingly, as if she was merely a piece of trash that he had found in his backyard. 

Aileen merely looked back at him, not willing to give him the satisfaction of showing any reaction towards his tone of voice. 

"This is around the twentieth time you are sitting here in my office this year. Not to mention the countless times during the previous years. I hope you know that things cannot go on like this forever." he started one of his speeches, treating her as if she was a little girl. 

After a while, Aileen felt her attention wander. She examined everything in his office, trying to determine whether there were any changes from the last time she had been there barely a week ago. His office was boring - there were no pictures on the wall, only a few faded certificates. The walls were lined with bookcases containing volumes of boring muggle books. The view from the window showed nothing but a few grey apartment buildings, interspersed with bits of gloomy sky. The floor was scratched and worn from long use, and so was the wooden desk. 

"Aileen!" he tried to recapture her attention, "did you hear what I said? Since this time you did not commit a major transgression, I am giving you one last chance." 

_That Bastard_ she thought to herself, _he just doesn't want to have to deal with the paperwork that would come along with kicking me out. Oh well, I guess his laziness saved me one more time. . .so I shouldn't complain. _

"Your teachers will of course be informed of this and asked to report any further transgressions to me. And, Aileen O'Connor, this truly is your last chance. The next time you are sitting here will be your last. . . and we don't want that to happen, do we. . .?" A malicious smile curled up the corners of his lips. 

Aileen sat motionless, not wanting to move in case he suddenly changed his mind. She did not like the way he was looking at her. Nervously, she started squirming in her chair; anxious to get out of the principal's office. 

"What are you still sitting there for? Get out. Now! To your class! Here is a pass. . .and remember - this is your last chance" he barked at Aileen. 

Startled, she got up quickly and left the room in a hurry. Not wanting to test his patience any further, she made her way to her class without lingering. 

_Oh great! _she thought to herself _I know some teachers at this school who would LOVE to see me expelled. . .these last two weeks will be a living hell! _

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

After school, Aileen was just about to get her bike when she was headed off by two muggle girls. 

"So. . .I heard our little 'too-good-for-you' princess got in a bit of trouble." the first remarked in a soft, dangerous voice. 

The other merely stood a step behind, smiling maliciously. 

Aileen knew the two girls. The first, a slim blonde who liked to flaunt her body in front of the muggle excuses for boys, was rarely seen without the second - a rather plump, brown haired girl, who was obviously hoping that some of the popularity of the first would rub off on her. Aileen also knew that the blonde could potentially be dangerous - if she felt anything was standing in her way, she would simply run it over. 

"What's it to you, huh? Why don't you just leave me alone and go find someone else to annoy, pathetic Barbie-wannabe" Aileen retorted. Even to her own ears the 'Barbie-wannabe insult sounded pathetic, and she was ready to laugh though she tried not to show it. 

"Look, you wanna mess with me you gotta get up earlier, hun." The blond girl's eyes were flashing dangerously now. 

Aileen was momentarily surprised that her 'insult' had actually hit a weak spot - but then again that wasn't so unexpected considering Barbie-girl's appearance. . . 

"What, you need to resort to calling girls 'hun' since the boys don't listen to you anymore? They probably saw you for the fake bitch you are - face it: nobody takes YOU seriously". The moment she said it Aileen realized she had made a mistake. _You're so stupid_ she scolded herself mentally _You know how proud that bitch is. . . she's not going to let you get away with this. . .NEVER! _

"Excuse me?!?" the girl yelled "Hello!?! Just 'cause you're neva gonna be as popular as I am dusn't mean you have to diss me in fronta everyone! K?" 

By now, half of her grade had gathered around the three girls and was watching with interest. 

Aileen sighed exasperatedly. Why did muggles always think they were better than everyone else? "Look if I was looking for popularity I could easily be in your place right now!" 

_That sounds pathetic! _a voice argued in her head. 

"I don't need what you call 'friends' and I don't need a whole fan club following me wherever I go. And I'm not about to let any guy do whatever he wants to me - I'm not THAT desperate, and I hope I never will be." 

_That sounded more like it. . . that might actually hurt_ Aileen was thinking to herself, satisfied. 

She was therefore caught off-guard as one of the blonde girl's hands hit her in the face. Aileen staggered back, hearing the blonde girl remark "Well, I guess you can't really expect a girl who has no parents to have manners. . .and she definitely won't learn them from that hag of a grandmother!" 

When Aileen looked up the look in her eyes was one of pure venom. How dare that muggle! Aileen slammed her fist into the girl's face, and then rammed her knee into her stomach. 

"Nobody. Hits. Me. . . Nobody. Messes. With. Me. . . And NOBODY talks about my parents or my grandmother like that!" with that she glared at each person in turn, spun around, grabbed her bike and left. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////// 


	3. Sweet Revenge

Seething anger filled Aileen's every nerve. 

_How dare they! One day they'll all be sorry! Damn those pitiful muggles! _

Every fibre of her body seemed to be calling for revenge. The hate she felt was stronger than anything she had ever felt before. For a moment, it confused her, but once the confusion left only anger remained. She pedalled harder, wanting to hide from the world. . .and plot her revenge. 

When she arrived at home, Aileen immediately sensed that something was wrong. The curtains in the kitchen were still drawn, there were no clothes on the line outside, and it looked as if the plants hadn't been watered yet. Slowly, Aileen opened the door, looking around carefully. Something brushed against her legs, and she had to fight hard to keep herself from screaming. When a loud meow revealed the source of the movement, Aileen felt somewhat foolish. 

"Hi Lune. . .what are you doing here all alone? Hasn't grandmother let you out yet?" she asked the cat, even though she knew that she would not receive an answer. Lune looked up at her with intelligent eyes, and left the house through the still-open door. 

"Grandmother?!?" Worry and fear started creeping up on Aileen. It was very much unlike her grandmother to forget about her chores. . .especially the cat. 

"Grandmother!!! Where are you?" Aileen's calls echoed throughout the house, unheard. 

"Grandmother!" she called again, an edge of panic in her voice. Aileen ran up the stairs to her grandmother's room. Immediately, she saw the shape of her grandmother, sprawled on the bed. Aileen started approaching her, pleading for her to be alright. 

_ Oh god no! She can't be. . .dead. . .no, no,_ "NO!" she yelled the last word. 

"Grandmother! Please! Wake up!". She said the last few words in a whisper, interrupted by loud sobs. 

Slowly, Aileen walked to the phone and called an ambulance. _ Maybe. . .just maybe. . ._ a voice in the back of her head hoped. Angrily, she dismissed it. What was the point in dreaming? _"Only through action can anything be gained."_ Her grandmother's words echoed through her head, pushing out all thoughts of "maybe. . ." 

////////////////////////////////////////// 

Her grandmother HAD been alive. . .but only just. She died in the hospital the next day, leaving Aileen an orphan. Aileen yelled, cried, used violence - all to no avail: the orphanage was to be her new home. 

The day after her grandmother's death, the muggles sent Aileen back to her house in order to pack her things. 

As she walked through the now deserted house, Aileen's sadness was once more replaced by anger. She blamed the muggles for her grandmother's death - first for keeping her at school when she should have been at home where she might have been able to help her grandmother, and secondly Aileen was sure that the muggle doctors were incapable and useless. She wished she knew how to call the wizard ambulance - medi-wizards would surely have succeeded where the muggle-doctors had failed. 

_That cursed day!_ Aileen swore to herself, _ I should have never gone to school! Damned muggle boys, damned girl, damned principal, damned barbie-girl, damned WORLD! _

Not thinking clearly in her rage, Aileen snatched up her wand, ran down the stairs, grabbed her bike and made her way towards the school. As she had expected, barbie-girl and her fanclub were sitting on the benches, obviously busy bitching about others. 

As she ran towards them, Aileen snatched up a few wisps of their conversation. 

". . .always knew she was sorta weird. . ." 

". . .but she didn't look so bad. . ." 

". . .serves her right. . .orphanage. . .got rid of her. . ." 

". . .don't think. . .killed her grandmother. . .not smart enough. . ." 

Aileen had heard enough. 

"Hi girls!" she announced her presence in an overly sweet voice. 

Startled, one of barbie-girls friends let out a quick gasp before regaining her composure at a venomous glance from barbie-girl. 

"Aileeeen. . .how nice to see you again. I'm reeeally sorry to hear 'bout your granny." The way she said it made it sound insincere and mocking. 

_ STUPID bitch. . .so goddamn FAKE. . .oh well. . .she's about to pay for it. . ._

Aileen smiled maliciously as she pulled out her wand. Barbie-girl seemed afraid for a second, but as Aileen's hand produced nothing more than a wooden stick, she burst out laughing. "What are you gonna do? Beat me up with a stick?!?" 

By now, all her friends had joined in the laughter as well. Aileen just kept on smiling as she pointed her wand at barbie-girl. 

"Furnunculus!" she yelled, and barbie-girl was hit with a blast of light. 

Now suddenly afraid, barbie-girl's friends started backing away from Aileen, their eyes wide open. 

Barbie-girl was screaming in agony and fear as boils started appearing all over her. Meanwhile, Aileen was laughing madly. It would have been fun to do something more serious, perhaps even kill the girl, but Aileen did not yet know enough magic to perform such a curse. But she was definitely feeling better now that she had released part of her anger. 

However, Aileen's revenge was short-lived. Suddenly, witches and wizards started appearing all around the group of girls, and none of them was laughing. While one performed a counter-curse on barbie-girl, several performed a memory-charm on the other girls so that they would forget all about this event. Two more approached Aileen, who had been trying to sneak away. 

"Aileen Maeve O'Connor! Stop right there! Drop your wand and keep your hands where we can see them" 

_ Oh great. The wizard version of police. _ Aileen groaned to herself, but did as she was told. 

The two wizards approached her carefully, trying to determine if she would try and run or use any form of violence. 

"Aileen?" the older one, a witch of around 40 years started speaking, "My name is Cassandra Wellington. I am from the ministry of magic. We are not here to hurt you, but to help you. It would make things much easier for all of us if you cooperated. I have orders to take you to the ministry, where we will decide about what will happen to you." 

Cassandra kept approaching Aileen until she was facing her. 

"Let's go" she said in a sympathetic voice, and Aileen couldn't help but like the woman. Without any further protest, Aileen followed Cassandra, who took her back to the ministry using a portkey they had brought with them. 

/////////////////////////////////////// 


	4. Cassandra Wellington

Aileen trudged along behind Cassandra, emotionless. She felt like an empty shell, devoid of any feelings or thoughts. Whatever would happen would happen. It was as if all strength and will-power had been drained out of her. Aileen was sure they would be punishing her. . .and then she would probably be sent to an orphanage. . .she couldn't think of anyone who would bother with her - a disturbed, possibly dangerous teenage girl. . .not really something anyone would want in their house. 

After climbing several sets of stairs and passing through numerous corridors, Cassandra finally led Aileen into a small office. Aileen started feeling somewhat uncomfortable, remembering the reason she had last been in an office. . .not very long ago. But she soon realized that this was as different from the principal's office as could be. Everything was colorful and the whole room was filled with light that came in through several large windows framed by translucent white curtains. In a corner stood a large desk, covered with papers. In front of it were two skyblue, comfortable-looking chairs. On the opposite wall, left to the door, there were numerous file-cabinets and a few bookshelves. On the other side of the room there was a blue couch facing a glass coffee-table. The walls were decorated with photos of landscapes, people and animals; all of which were moving. 

Cassandra had been patiently waiting for Aileen to finish her observation of the office, and seeing that Aileen was calming down motioned towards the couch. Showing no sign of emotion, Aileen did as she was told and sat down. 

"Are you hungry or thirsty, dear?" Cassandra asked in a motherly fashion. 

"Yes" Aileen replied in an impartial voice. 

Cassandra waved her wand and a bowl of fruit and some pumpkin juice appeared on the coffee table. 

"Is this alright?" she asked, wanting to make Aileen as comfortable as possible before they started talking. 

Aileen just nodded, unable to reply since she was already munching on an apple. "Thank You." she finally said, her mouth still half full. 

"Oh, it's nothing my dear" Cassandra replied, "I'm sure you must have been hungry. Is there anything else you need?" 

"Well. . ." Aileen started, suddenly overwhelmed, "it's just that all my things are still at my grandmother's house. . .and I think they're emptying it tomorrow. And the cat. . .there's nobody there to feed the cat. . .I have to go take care fo him. . ." Aileen had become more and more agitated as she talked to Cassandra. She jumped up, wanting to go to the door, but Cassandra stopped her. 

"There, there, sweetie. It would do you no good to run away, we're miles away from your home. Hush, it's alright, I'll take care of it. We'll transfer all the things in your grandmother's house to a storehouse and then you can go through them later. And I'll get someone to bring your cat here." Cassandra said, quelling any further emotional outbursts. "Even though animals are not really allowed in here. . .but I'm sure we can bend the rule a bit . . ." she added in a low whisper, smiling mischeviously. 

With a grateful look at Cassandra, Aileen settled back down. 

"Do you know whether I can have my wand back?" she asked next, feeling unprotected without it. 

Cassandra looked at her, surprised that she was thinking of that now - but then again it was probably a wizard's most important possession. "I'm not sure, but I'll ask and try to get it back to you as soon as possible. What kind of wand is it?" 

"Ebony, dragon heartstring, 12 inches, flexible." Aileen replied unenthusiastically, having fallen back into her stupor. 

Cassandra merely nodded, turned away to her desk, shuffled through some papers. She thought she knew what was going on in the girl's head. She had been through a lot during the past few days and it was therefore not surprising that she was rather unbalanced. 

"I know it's still early but I'm sure you're tired. I don't presume that you've gotten a lot of sleep during the past few days." Cassandra finally said, turning back around. 

With another wave of her wand, she conjured up a blanket and pillow. "You can sleep on the couch, I won't be needing my office for the rest of the afternoon." 

Without another glance at Cassandra, Aileen lay down, wrapping the blanket around herself. She was soon fast asleep. Looking at her, Cassandra wondered about this strange girl, brought up away from other wizards but knowing all the time that they existed. . ._It must have been hard on her, the poor girl. _ was Cassandras last thought before she left the room. 

////////////////////////////////////////// 


	5. Uncertainty

"Aileen! Come, dear, it's time to get up." Cassandra Wellington tried to raise Aileen from her slumber. Aileen merely mumbled something uncomprehensible and rolled around. "Aileen! I haven't got all day, dear. It's seven and you've slept for 15 hours. Come on!" Then, getting a last desperate idea Cassandra added "Your cat is waiting. . ." 

Aileen bolted upright and was suddenly wide awake. "Lune! You've brought Lune!". The silver cat jumped on the couch, purring loudly. Aileen started petting him, overjoyed. Cassandra watched them quietly, smiling at the girl's unrestrained show of affection. 

"Here, you must be hungry." she finally said, motioning at a basket of muffins on the coffee table. 

"Thank you." Aileen said, without paying much attention to the woman. 

Cassandra sat down at her desk while Aileen finished her breakfast. She couldn't help but wonder at the girl's relationship with the cat - was it really normal to love an animal that much? 

"Aileen? Are you done? Why don't you come sit over here." Cassandra finally said, not looking up. Aileen carefully picked up the cat and sat in one of the chairs in front of Cassandra's desk. When Cassandra looked up, she was momentarily surprised at how fragile the 15-year-old girl looked. She was sitting in the chair with her legs pulled up, holding the cat and looking at Cassandra with a questioning look. Cassandra tried to shake off the feeling of protectiveness that had come over her and said: 

"Aileen, you must understand that I'm trying to help you. Your grandmother is dead, and as far as we know you do not have any living relatives. This puts us in a difficult position. I would not like to see you put in a muggle orphanage, and I don't think you would like that either. I have sent owls to several families, asking whether they would be prepared to take you in over the summer. I have also sent an owl to Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, asking whether it would be possible for you to start studying there. I understand your grandmother has been training you privately?" 

Aileen merely nodded. She had never met any other wizards apart from her grandmother, Cassandra and herself. She was somewhat frightened of having to go to a school full of other wizards and wizards around her age. However, anything was better than going to a muggle orphange. And she would be able to continue her training as a witch. 

"You'll have to take some tests to determine what grade level you should be in" Cassandra continued, "and you should be prepared to take classes with people younger than you. Dumbledore has already given his consent, and he has voiced some concern about you going to a muggle orphanage. He seemed to think that it would not be safe for you, but I do not know why. He has even proposed to take care of you himself if nobody else can be found, which is very surprising. However, I am still waiting for the replies of the other families I have written to. In the meantime, you will stay here under my care." 

Aileen nodded again, taking in all of the information she had been given. She did not mind staying with Cassandra - she had started liking the older witch. As Cassandra bent her head over her papers again, Aileen put Lune on the floor and started walking towards the bookcase. She skimmed through the titles until she found one that looked interesting - "Potions of Africa". Aileen had always been interested in potions, and her grandmother had gone to great pains in order to foster that interest. Aileen went back to the couch, not looking where she was going as she was already immersed in the book. Lune followed her and settled down on the carpet next to the couch. 

//////////////////////////////////////// 

Aileen fell asleep on the couch, but she was woken up in the middle of the night by loud noises. 

"Hello? Who's there?" she called out into the darkness of the room. 

"Oh, that gave me a fright. It's just me sweetie!" Aileen heard Cassandra's reply from somewhere around the desk. 

"Is anything the matter?" Aileen asked, now wide awake. 

"Urgent call. . .something happened down at Hogwarts. Absolutely ridiculous story about You-Know-Who returning. Don't see how that could be possible. . . however, I'll see for myself when I get there. Stay here, I'll be back by tomorrow. If not I'll make sure someone else takes care of you." 

Cassandra said all of this very quickly, all the while scurrying around, getting her cloak and wand and some papers. "Not to worry dear, we'll have all of this cleared up soon." she added, noticing that Aileen hadn't moved. 

_ Voldemort. . .back! No that can't be! _ Aileen thought, a shiver running down her back. 

Though she had only been two years old at his downfall, Aileen still remembered a faint fear when thinking of the time. Her surroundings had been buzzing with it, and even as a baby she had perceived some of the panic. It had been enough to make her feel a chill whenever anyone mentioned Voldemort's name. 

Aileen couldn't get back to sleep. She stared at the ceiling, thinking about her life. How much easier it would have been if she had had parents who loved her! But she didn't. Aileen didn't know how her parents had died. Perhaps they had been killed by Lord Voldemort. . . but she simply didn't know. Sometimes when she concentrated very hard, she saw an image of green eyes. . .but it blurred quickly, especially when Aileen tried to look closer. Aileen closed her eyes, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep. 

Lune was now sleeping on Aileen's stomach. She welcomed his weight, it took away the feeling of loneliness that threatened to wash over her whenever Cassandra wasn't around. 

_. . .Maybe all is not lost. . ._ Aileen thought sleepily before sleep finally overcame her. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////// 


	6. Dreams and Reality

"He's almost found us. It may be too late." 

"What do you mean? Too late for what???" 

Aileen woke up as the voices in her dream were replaced by yell outside her door. She tried for a few moments to recall them, feeling that somehow this was important. Unable to do so, she sat up, looking around. Wondering what the commotion was about, she strained to make out what was being said. Lune, who had come to get his usual morning cuddle, was pushed aside impatiently as Aileen did not want to miss a word that was said. 

"She can't stay here! We do not have time to spare on a child right now!" a stranger's voice was bellowing. 

"Oh, and where else do you suppose she should go?" Aileen heard Cassandra reply angrily. "We definitely can't send her back to the muggle world. First of all she would be terribly unhappy in a muggle orphanage and second of all she could be dangerous out there - you saw what she did to that other girl! Even Dumbledore was reluctant to let her stay in an orphanage! She needs further education and we need to be able to keep an eye on her until she gets it! She is one of us – we can't deny her access to our world in times like these!" 

"Dumbledore is losing his touch! Don't tell me that you indeed believe his story of You-Know-Who returning! Envoys to the giants . . . remove the Dementors from Azkaban. . .the old man's gone mad! She is not staying here!" the stranger said, vehemently refusing to consider the issue. 

"Cornelius, you're stubborn! Do not let out your anger on that poor girl, she's suffered enough! She is not even remotely connected to the issue you're speaking of. And you know very well Dumbledore is NOT losing his touch. You just don't want your beloved position endangered!" Cassandra replied, trying to reason with whoever Cornelius was. 

"So you DO believe it. I thought you had better sense than that and - " 

"What I believe is not the problem here." Cassandra interrupted. "Right now, it's important to find a solution for Aileen's future. I do not understand why you are even bothering to get involved in this! If we send her to Hogwarts, you won't have to worry anymore! It does not concern you anyway - I would think the minister of magic had more important matters to attend to!" 

"OF course I do! That is why I cannot have a curious teenage girl snooping around everywhere! And she is keeping you from your work!" the man named Cornelius kept pressing. 

"She is not keeping me from my work! I work in the office of underage magic, and she is one of my cases!" Cassandra replied exasperatedly. "Like I told you before, the incident of a few days ago could easily repeat itself, causing us more work. Don't you think it would be better if we just got rid of the problem now?!?" 

"Do what you see fit, just GET HER OUT OF HERE! We've had enough trouble this past year, what with Reeta Skeeter and her articles about the ministry. . .we can't have this girl mess anything up now! Excuse me, Cassandra, I have more important matters to attend to." 

Aileen quickly lay back down as she heard the door opening. 

". . .which is what I was saying five SECONDS ago. . .ignorant man, he is. . ." she heard Cassandra mumbling. 

After a few minutes, Aileen thought it was safe to get up. She didn't want Cassandra knowing that she had overheard everything, and perhaps it would have been safer to wait a bit - but Aileen was getting bored. Lying in bed all day was not one of her favorite occupations - especially when she was so curious and thought her mind would burst with questions. 

"Good morning, Ms. Wellington." 

"Cassandra for you, dear. . . Good morning." Cassandra replied absentmindedly. 

"So, what happened last night?" Aileen asked offhandedly, trying not to seem too interested. 

"Dear, dear. . .I'm not sure I should be telling you. . .at least not here. Cornelius wouldn't be too pleased, no he wouldn't. . ." Cassandra replied, still not really paying attention. She kept looking through a pile of papers on her desk, mumbling to herself. 

"Who IS Cornelius?" Aileen asked, wondering why he was making such an issue about her staying at the ministry. 

Cassandra finally looked up. "Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. Didn't your grandmother tell you who he was?" she replied, somewhat surprised. 

"She might've mentioned him once or twice. . .I don't know. . .so are we doing anything today?" Aileen said, still trying to hide her curiosity about what "the issue" was that she was not even remotely involved in. She was also hoping that she would be getting out sometime soon. 

"No, dear, I'm afraid not. . .too much work trying to sort out the mess of last night. . . I'm very sorry. Perhaps you should find another book that interests you, because I don't think you're allowed to leave this room unaccompanied by someone from the ministry right now." 

_Sounds like fun. . .another day spent reading. . . I don't want to be stuck in this stupid room anymore! But then again I don't have to go to muggle school anymore. . .maybe not ever again! I just hope I'll fit in at Hogwarts. . . _ Aileen thought to herself, mentally sighing. 

Still worrying, Aileen strolled over to the bookcase and put away the book on potions, which she had finished last night. She wasn't very keen on staying put all the time, even though there were several books that sounded appealing. She skimmed through the titles and found another one that interested her somewhat - "Wizard Life during the World Wars". 

She put the book down on the couch and made her way to the bathroom in order to shower and get dressed. Half an hour later she came back out again. Lune was immediately there to greet her, hoping that perhaps her mood had improved. It had, and Aileen swept him up in her arms, planting a kiss on his head. At least there was someone who really cared about her. . . 

"Hi Lune. . ." she said quietly, trying not to disturb Cassandra who was still sitting at her desk. She flopped down on the couch and started reading, so that the only noise in the room was the occasional shuffling of paper. 

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End file.
